THE WELD — continued. 
confusion with the cruciferous hath tinctoria Linne. The modern German name 
for the Mignonettes is Wau. 
Reseda Luteola is often known as Dyers Yellow-weed^ or simply as Yellow- 
weed or Yellows. Dyers Rocket and Dyers Weed are also used and have naturally 
resulted, among those more interested in dyes than in plants, in confusion with 
Genista tinctoria Linne. 
The plant itself is readily recognisable. It grows much taller and more erect 
than R. lutea., often reaching a height of three feet : it is glabrous, the long undivided 
linear leaves having a shining polish ; while the flowers are in very long and slender 
spike-like racemes. There are only four sepals and not more than five petals, one 
posterior one being three- to four-cleft, two lateral ones three-cleft, and the two 
anterior ones entire. The capsules are shorter and broader than those of the Wild 
Mignonette. 
The physiological observations recorded by Linnaeus are comparatively few ; so 
that it is interesting to recall that he notes that in this species the flowering shoots 
perform a revolving movement — circumnutation, as it was afterwards termed by 
Darwin — following the sun. Though Linnaeus naturally connected this movement 
with that of the sun, the fact that other plants circumnutate in the opposite direction 
(i.e. counter-clockwise instead of clockwise) is, perhaps, sufficient evidence that it is 
altogether independent of solar influence. 
In duration the plant is an annual ; but late seedlings often survive a mild 
winter, thus becoming biennial. This adaptability reminds us of the readiness with 
which the deliciously fragrant Mignonette of our gardens {Reseda odorata Linne), a 
native apparently of the warmer half of the Mediterranean area from Afghanistan to 
Egypt and North Africa, can be converted from its usual annual into a biennial or 
perennial condition — the Tree Mignonette or variety frutescens of gardeners. Usually 
the physiologically exhausting process of flowering and fruiting ends the life of the 
plant ; but, if the flower-buds are removed, a reserve of nutriment is stored up and 
the plant becomes woody and survives the winter. If flowering be prevented again, 
the tips of the shoots being pinched out, and fruiting prevented in succeeding years, 
a bushy shrub can be maintained for four or five years. 
Weld, like the other species, prefers a light soil and a sunny situation, and is 
found on walls as well as on chalk or other calcareous soils. 
